City Of The Night
by Lady Black Mage
Summary: When David Xanatos heads to Gotham with a secret business proposition, the Manhattan Clan follows...only to find their lives will change forever. Batman, the Dark Knight, finds new creatures in his city. Are they friend or foe? Rating: Language/Violence. Warning! Contains: Language, violence, canon-crossing  for Batman elements,  OCs, and OCxCanon.
1. Prologue

A/N: Be forewarned! This is a Gargoyles and Batman crossover fanfic that will include violence, swearing, fluff, crack, and OCs at random intervals. You don't like it? Don't bother reading it. If you do, great! I'd love some R&R!

All things Batman-related (C) to DC Comics

All things Gargoyles-related (C) to Disney Enterprises

The Macallister siblings (mentioned) are all (C) to me

* * *

Prologue: Triumvirate

David Xanatos rested his elbows on the desk, steepling his fingers as he carefully studied the two men sitting before him. The thought crossed his mind, not for the first time, that this meeting wasn't going anything liked he'd planned. He turned to regard the man on the right.  
This individual was considered to be the most notorious, dangerous criminally insane mind in all of Gotham City. And with the way that too-wide, too red smile kept Xanatos guessing at the thoughts behind it, he could understand why the Joker was thought to be so deadly. The Clown Prince of Crime was also wildly unpredictable, so Xanatos counted his blessings that the grinning nightmare before him had chosen to arrive at the meeting without killing anyone. That meant he was interested.  
The other man, however, was the one who really had him concerned.  
Roman Sionis—or Black Mask, as he'd chosen to introduce himself—had been the one to contact Xanatos, not the other way around. Someone had leaked information, valuable information, from his company, and the crime boss hadn't hesitated to seize a hold of it. He'd called David Xanatos, telling him that he knew what the young tycoon's latest project needed, and was willing to share the knowledge…provided of course, he be let in on the deal.  
Sighing, Xanatos turned from Joker, who seemed to have no further questions, and looked at Black Mask, who stared coldly back.  
Two unfriendly sets of red eyes on him. He was reminded in an ironic way of Demona.  
"And what information do you have for me, sir?" he asked.  
"You always start out business deals like this, kid?" Roman shot back, clicking his tongue condescendingly. "I figured you were ambitious, not stupid! You don't seem to know exactly how high the odds are stacked against you, here. You ought to reconsider how you address your superiors."  
David Xanatos smiled back coldly in response.  
"You're forgetting I have plenty of defenses, Mr. Sionis," he remarked, "So if you're thinking of a _coup-de-tas_ of this meeting, I wouldn't recommend it. Allow me to rephrase that to your liking. Ahem! Would you please share with me this information of yours, Mr. Sionis?"  
The Joker looked between them, eyes half-lidded in boredom, as though he was watching the most monotonous ping-pong match in his life.  
"Better," Black Mask grumbled roughly, reaching inside his suit and withdrawing three photographs. He set them face-up on the surface of the desk and flicked them over to Xanatos, one by one. "Your machine needs the right kind of blood to fuel it. They've got the blood you need, and plenty of it. Could last you a long time."  
Xanatos straightened the photos and looked at them in curiosity. Three young adults, two girls and a boy. Siblings, he decided, if the identical jaws, too-pale skin, and violently red hair were anything to go on. Though he found repugnant the thought of sacrificing people to his machine, the advancement had to be made. And besides, if the scientists on the development team were telling the truth, the kids were mutants anyway. That made it a little more excusable. Still…  
"Thank you, sir. Most helpful. However, I fail to see what you want out of this. And anyway, I only need two bodies for the holding chambers. For now, anyway."  
At this, Black Mask's entire posture shifted, becoming much more threatening. He looked like a big cat, waiting to maul unexpecting prey.  
"Exactly!" he snarled, and within seconds there was a switchblade embedded deep in the wood of the desk, pinning one of the photographs in place, marring the face of the young woman beneath. David winced, though not out of pity for the young woman's visage so much as the ruined desk. Imported, hand-polished cherry wood. That wouldn't be easy to replace.  
"You want to kill one of them?" he asked, gesturing toward the switchblade. "Her, I'm guessing?"  
"Oh, you've got no idea!" Black Mask roared, bringing both fists down hard on the desk. "Those Scots have been a thorn in my side long enough! And as for _that_ little bitch…"  
He reach to his side and unsheathed a long knife, a dagger, nicked and worn with age, and covered with black, dry blood. Xanatos shuddered and Joker raised his green eyebrows in mild curiosity.  
"I've got unfinished business to attend to, there. Business I started seven years ago. And I'm not going to just let her run around this city alive." Black Mask growled. "I want her dead as a doornail. Her guts ripped out, her scalp sliced off, her-head-mounted-on-my-wall kind of dead!"  
"I…I see." Xanatos nodded, swallowing over the knot in his throat. "Sorry I questioned you so rudely."  
"Damn right you are." the older man snapped.  
"Well then," David sighed, getting to his feet, "I suppose you—"  
"I'll escort myself out," Black Mask growled, turning on his heel and striding from the room, slamming the door sharply behind him. The Joker turned and smiled.  
"Oooh. _Someone's_ got a temper. Old Roman'll get you in the back if you aren't careful, pretty-boy." he chuckled.  
"I gathered as much."  
"Yeah, sure. Well, this little…powwow has been fun and all, but I gotta go. Business to attend to, chaos to be had…typical stuff in a job, sure you know what I'm talking about."  
"Of course," Xanatos replied. "I'll contact you in a month then, to give you details about how to get these Scots?"  
Joker threw his head back, guffawing hysterically and clutching his sides. "Oh stop! You're too much! So hilarious!"  
"I wasn't aware I said anything amusing…"  
"Oh, kid, you've got no idea! Where's a camera? We oughta be recording this to show at Christmas parties!" the Crime Clown doubled over with laughter, seizing hold of a chair to keep from collapsing to the floor in his mirth. This went on for a few moments more before he stood back up and straightened his suit, turning his deadly smile on the younger rich man. "You'll hear from me in a month alright, but only an idiot tries to tell the Joker how to catch his man. Anything too obvious'll get the Batman on my ass in a heartbeat."  
This time it was Xanatos's turn to laugh. "The Batman? Please! I've dealt with legendary creatures and mutants who could fry my face off! A mere mortal man in a Halloween suit doesn't scare me!"  
The Joker's stare turned cold, the smile left his face, and he crossed the distance between them, seizing the front of David's suit and getting right up in his face.  
"There is nothing 'mere'," he said in icy tones, "About _that_ mortal."  
A second later, he'd turned on his heel and strode toward the door, leaving Xanatos to stand in shock. He opened the door, turned his green head and waved.  
"Toodle-pip!" he said in a mock English accent, and the air in front of David Xanatos's face hissed. He dodged the razor sharp Joker card just before it embedded itself in the wall behind where he'd been.  
"What the!" he gasped.  
"Oops," the Joker shrugged, putting on non-convincing airs of apology, "Clumsy me! Butterfingers, you know! Tsk, tsk. Happens all the time. I'll be seeing you around, Xanny…heh heh heh heh…."  
"You know, sir," Owen finally spoke up after the Joker had been gone for five minutes, "I think for once you're in over your head. That meeting didn't go anything like you'd planned."  
Xanatos nearly jumped; Owen had been so quiet, standing off in the corner, that he'd forgotten his right-hand man had been there at all.  
"No, Owen, you're right. It didn't go according to plan at all."  
He reached up, gingerly took hold of the Joker card, and carefully yanked it out of the wall, turning it over in his hand as he smiled.  
"It went much, much better."


	2. Chapter 1: The Subway

A/N: Be forewarned! This is a Gargoyles and Batman crossover fanfic that will include violence, swearing, fluff, crack, canon-crossing, and OCs at random intervals. You don't like it? Don't bother reading it. If you do, great! I'd love some R&R!

All things Batman-related (C) to DC Comics

All things Gargoyles-related (C) to Disney Enterprises

Shakia Johnson and Ramsey "The Mummy" Kingston (mentioned) are (C) to me

* * *

Chapter 1: The Subway

The sun was beginning to set in Manhattan, and Elisa Maza was racing up the stairs in the old clock tower, determined to let her "special friends" know what she'd found. She was pushing open the door leading onto the terrace just as the last rays of light disappeared on the edge of the horizon. She only had to wait a few moments before the sedentary forms on the ledges began to rumble and shake, lattice works of cracks appearing in the statues. Without warning, the stone crumbled and fell away as the Manhattan Clan woke, roaring their presence. Bronx leapt from his perch to greet Elisa first, panting and wagging his stubby tail happily. At once, the three youngest gargoyles spun around to see who was there.

"Oh, hi Elisa!" Broadway and Lexington said in tandem.

"What's up?" Brooklyn yawned, stretching.

"Hi, guys," she answered with a chuckle, scratching Bronx behind one of his ears, "Have a good rest?"

"Aye, lass! And how would ye be doin'?" Hudson asked, a smile spreading over the aged gargoyle's features.

"I'm doing fine," she answered distractedly, stepping forward to address the last gargoyle directly. "Look, remember how Xanatos has been so quiet these last few months? And how you kept thinking he was up to something?"

"Goliath, are you still sure about that?" Broadway asked tentatively, a note of doubt in his voice.

"Positive." The amethyst gargoyle answered before turning and locking eyes with Elisa. "What is it, Elisa?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Turns out Xanatos just left earlier today, heading for Gotham City. Word has it he's trying to broker a huge business deal with millionaire Bruce Wayne. But the catch is that nobody knows what the deal is about. It's being kept very hush-hush. Even Wayne's stated to the papers that he has no clue what Xanatos is trying to get at." She explained, the words coming out in a hurried rush. Goliath's eye ridges continued to narrow as she spoke, and a low growl escaped his throat.

"This bodes ill." He murmured.

"What are we going to do, lad?" Hudson demanded, turning to regard their young leader.

"Shouldn't we go to Gotham and warn this Wayne guy?" Brooklyn suggested.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Broadway asked, "After all, Gotham City's probably never seen any g—"

At this Elisa began to chuckle, and waved her hands to cut them all off.

"Guys, you've both got a good point. First, Gotham may never have seen gargoyles before, but from what I've heard, they've got so much insanity going on there, if you're seen, the people probably aren't going to be phased. Gotham's a tough place, and it takes some hardy people to live there. Second, Wayne deserves a fighting chance against Xanatos. Am I right?" she asked, turned to Goliath.

"Yes, you are," he rumbled, stepping down from the ledge. "This…Gotham. How far is it?"

"That's the thing," Elisa sighed, spreading her hands helplessly, "It's on the other side of the state. You won't be able to glide there in one night. However…"

"Uh oh." Brooklyn and Lexington groaned.

"I don't like th' sound o' that…" Hudson muttered.

"What?" Goliath asked, "What is it?"

"Captain Chavez has given me permission to clear out one of the subway trains to take to Gotham City. All we'd have to do is get you down there." She said, her face breaking into a smile.

"Surely getting permission to do so wasn't easy…?" Goliath guessed, eyeing her skeptically.

"No," the young detective replied, shaking her head, "It took a lot of convincing, and the promise that I wouldn't leave Gotham until I had some solid evidence to bring back against Xanatos. The captain says it's a measure of the trust she's got in me, letting me do this."

"So all we have to do is get on one of the trains and we'll get to Gotham by tonight?" Lexington asked.

"With a few hours of moonlight to spare," Elisa said, "I've already booked a reservation to a hotel there, and hopefully you'll find a safe place to roost."

"Is Matt coming too?" Broadway jumped in eagerly, his ears flapping back and forth in excitement.

"No, he's staying. But he is calling ahead to let the GCPD know I'm headed that way. My guess is that they're going to send an escort to meet me, so you'll have to sneak off the train while I've got them looking the other way."

"Sounds like a plan." Brooklyn said with an approving grin.

"I'm not sure I like this," Hudson remarked, tugging at his beard. "I've seen these big metal snakes underground, and I've also seen some o' th' news covers aboot Gotham City. Sounds like a dangerous place."

"It'll be twice as dangerous with David Xanatos there, left unchecked." Goliath stated, and none of the others tried to argue that point.

* * *

So far things had been a bit quiet, but then, the night was still very early. He was patrolling the east sector, keeping the usual wary eye out, when two forms dropped behind him, landing carefully on the rooftop. A third swooped up, taking point beside him.

"You're late," was all he grunted.

"Not all of us have jet-propelled cars." grumped a female voice.

"Don't bother arguing this point with him," the young man beside him sighed, "Believe me, I've tried."

He ignored them both. "How's the southeast?"

"Quiet," answered a young boy's voice. "So far, the most interesting thing that happened was a couple of supermarket employees arguing about baseball teams."

"How are things at the police headquarters?"

The girl sighed in irritation. "We just got a phone call in. We've got a detective coming in from Manhattan, says she's tailing David Xanatos."

There was a whistle and disapproving click of a tongue at his other side. "Told you that guy looked shady."

He glanced out of the corner of his eye and caught Robin giving him a rather superior expression.

"It's the more polite move to at least agree to meet with him and find out what he wants, Robin."

"So, shady potential business partners aside," Nightwing interrupted to his left, "Care to explain why exactly we're staked out in front of the Gotham Museum of Natural History?"

"The artifacts for next week's Hapshetsut display are slated to arrive tonight." Batman stated.

"Meaning there's a good chance our friend Ramsey Kingston may try to "reclaim" them." Nightwing finished, a hint of amusement in his words, and Batman nodded grimly.

"Um, hello?" Batgirl said in exasperation, spreading her hands. "What are we going to do about the detective?"

"You're kidding, right?" Robin said dryly.

"Batgirl, it's standard procedure. She'll get a police escort, no big deal," Nightwing waved it off, then added mischieviously, "Besides, I thought you wanted a crack at The Mummy after he shoved you into a fish barrel last time."

The young woman scowled at the memory before adding, "I've heard that this detective is arriving alone in the subway. In a completely empty train. Said her captain gave her permission to clear one for herself. Tell me _that's_ not suspicious."

* * *

The subway train was already departing from the station, but Elisa didn't want to take chances, so she ordered the gargoyles to keep down until she gave the all-clear. She had to admit, it was rather amusing to see them all squeezed in next to each other like sardines. She waited until the station was out of sight and only tunnel walls flew by outside the window, then went to check all the individual cars. The conductor had done his best to try and assure Elisa that the train was completely empty and running on autopilot, but years of police work had taught her that you don't take chances.

Especially not where her…unique friends were concerned.

Finally satisfied there weren't any other humans, she returned to the car and gave a thumbs up. Bronx wiggled free of the others first and promptly started to sniff the pleather train seats.

"Are you positive the train is empty?" Goliath asked, frowning in grim paranoia as he helped Hudson to his feet.

"Positive." she chuckled, lending Broadway a hand as Brooklyn and Lexington squeezed free. "The coast is clear for right now, until we get to the Gotham station. We'll arrive there in about two to three hours."

"If that's the case, I wanna look around. There's got to be a snack bar in this thing or something." Broadway said, patting his stomach.

"I wanna look around, too! I've never gotten to explore a train so freely before!" Lexington jumped in, eyes shining. They both looked pleadingly at Goliath, who sighed in weary resignation.

"Oh, alright. But be careful, and check back with us every so often. We cannot risk being separated once we get to Gotham." he said firmly.

They both nodded eagerly and scampered off to opposite ends of the train. Brooklyn rolled his eyes and collapsed back into a seat.

"Aren't yeh goin' t'join 'em, lad?" Hudson asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What's the point? There's nothing for me to do except sit here and wait." the younger gargoyle grumped.

* * *

There was a chill on the night air in Gotham City, the kind that brought anticipatory shivers with it. But Detective Renee Montoya was only gritting her teeth in annoyance. Gordon had recalled three units back to him, to storm the museum.

Her unit hadn't been among them.

So, while Gordon, Bullock, Yin, and Tankinson helped Batman collar The Mummy, she was stuck here at the Gotham subway station with two rookies to perform escort duty.

And it chafed.

"Is something wrong, officer?" asked one of the rookies. Montoya turned to regard her, reserving judgment with a careful frown. Shakia Johnson had only recently joined the GCPD, but she had high ambitions of becoming the top detective on the force. The young mocha-skinned woman had also proved to be exceedingly diligent, observant, and attentive to all manner of detail.

But something about her still set off alarm bells in Montoya's head.

Not the bad kind, mind you. Shakia was a straight-A kid from a good family.

No, it was the crazy fanatic kind of bells. Maybe it was all the research Shakia had been doing on the Crusades in her spare time. Perhaps it was her level of hero-worship of Batman and his supposed "mission." Or how lately she'd taken to punctuating many of her actions with the phrase "beauseant." Montoya didn't even know what it meant, but with the feverish way Shakia always murmured it, it had the older woman on edge.

Either way, Renee Montoya had decided that if no one else would keep an eye on Shakia Johnson, she was going to.

"No, Johnson," she answered at last, "It's nothing for you to concern yourself with."

"Good," said another voice, "Bad enough we've got to wait around here for some Manhattan officer who thinks she's such a hotshot she needs her own train."

Montoya's frown turned into a full-on scowl as she turned to Mason, the other rookie. The blue-eyed blonde man had outright stated that he considered Harvey Bullock and Cash Tankinson his heroes at recruitment, and that alone spoke volumes. Still, Montoya refrained from biting his head off, instead just turning to watch the subway for the train from Manhattan. She couldn't pretend she didn't think it ridiculous an officer would need an entire train to herself, which was why she didn't reprimand Mason for his comment.

At last the train arrived and slowed to a halt. Sighing, Montoya signaled to her rookies and they approached, keeping a good twenty feet between themselves and the train, weapons close at hand.

After all, you could never be too careful in Gotham.

The doors slid open and a woman, older than Johnson but slightly younger than Montoya, stepped out. At first glance she looked Hispanic, but on closer inspection, Montoya realized she was mixed: half Native American, half African-American. Unusual to see, even in Gotham. She was very striking, with the strong presence that marked a cop who did her title justice, and she approached them confidently, a wary smile on her face.

"Guessing everyone else is out busting heads?" she asked in a would-be casual voice.

"Something like that," Montoya offered her a grim smile, "And besides, someone's got to show the rookies here the ropes."

Mason made a noise of protest, but Shakia only smiled good-naturedly. Montoya stepped forward, extending her hand.

"Detective Renee Montoya, Gotham City Police Department." she stated.

"Detective Elisa Maza, Manhattan's 34th precinct." the other said with a smile, grasping her hand in a firm grip and giving it a solid business handshake. Montoya decided immediately, one-person train or not, she liked Elisa.

"Well, detective," she chuckled, "If you're come to Gotham to see the sights, you've seen nothing yet!"

"Oh, I'm sure, Detective Montoya! I'm sure."

* * *

The clan crouched in the overhead rafters, watching the exchange silently. After a few minutes, they were satisfied Elisa was in good hands.

"This is a relief." Goliath stated to the others as he watched the three Gotham officers escort her away, "Now all we must do is make sure Elisa can find us later."

Suddenly something whirled past their heads and embedded itself in the metal rafters beyond. As one, the Manhattan clan whirled around to face the threat. A young woman and a boy dressed in strange garments were poised to throw more objects at them, but froze on seeing them start to rise and open their wings.

"Whoa…" said the girl.

"I guess this would be a bad time to say 'don't move'?" the boy asked, eyes widening behind his mask.

At once Goliath roared and surged forward, catching the young humans by surprise. He had no intention of hurting them of course, but the charge was effective nonetheless and they both jumped out of his way. He kept moving through the now-open path, shouting for his clan to follow, half-running, half-gliding until he found the exit. Strong drafts were blowing outside and he took to the air at once, allowing the air currents to buoy him upward until he could alight on a nearby roof. Glancing back quickly, he saw the others following and urged them to him, gliding a few more roofs away.

Finally, satisfied they'd escaped the odd threat for the time being—if indeed, it could be called a threat—he turned to regard his clan as they landed.

"What in the blazes was that?" Hudson gasped, nearly collapsing from the strain of carrying Bronx. He stumbled as he landed, the canine gargoyle creature leaping from his arms and circling around the roof, growling back in the direction of the train station.

"Only the worst welcome wagon ever!" Brooklyn griped.

"Geez! You guys weren't kidding about this place being crazy and dangerous!" Broadway threw in, bouncing as he landed.

Goliath offered them all a grim smile before he realized something that made his blood run cold. "Where is Lexington?" he asked, an edge to his voice. The others looked around wildly, Bronx whining, then they all slowly started to exchange cautious glances.

"The last time I saw him…" Hudson started slowly.

"He'd been running to the captain's car," said Broadway, eyes growing wide with the horror of dawning comprehension, "Back on the—"

"Train!" Brooklyn gasped, "We left Lex on the train!"


	3. Chapter 2: You Can Run

Chapter 2: You Can Run…

High school sucked for normal kids, but it especially sucked for Jonathon Isley. Mostly owing to the fact both the other teens and the teachers all looked at him funny because he was "Poison Ivy's little brother." So he stuck with the Goth clique at school, the only clique where being the younger brother of an insane criminal was slightly wicked awesome, and nobody really bothered him.

For the most part.

He was heading out at the end of the day, fussing with his lighter as he held it to his cigarette, when he heard a voice yell his name. Frowning in mild irritation, Jonathon slowed his walk and looked over his shoulder to see a trio of redheads coming toward him. His frown deepened into a full-on scowl. The O'Ryvin triplets were exchange students from Ireland, and they left him alone usually, but he had a feeling he knew why they were seeking him out. He tightened his hold on the messenger bag slung over his shoulder. It wasn't his, but a friend's, and he had the feeling that his friend was the reason the freckled ginger threesome were looking for him.

"What?" he demanded coldly as they drew close to him. Three pairs of eyes darted to his cigarette, frowning, and Jonathon finally got it lit, taking a triumphant little puff on it. They could make evil eyes at him as much as they wanted; he wasn't putting out the cigarette.

"I was just wonderin' if ye knew where Miss Sunset was today. Missed her durin' school." the one in the wheelchair, Richard, said to him.

Jonathon's knuckles turned white as he squeezed the messenger bag. So this _was_ about Sunny.

Sunny Macallister was one of Jonathon's few really close friends. She was mostly a loner little emo girl who avoided people, and given some of the events in her past, one really couldn't blame her. However, Richard O'Ryvin had lately taken to talking to Sunny in class, and made it quite obvious that not only did he like her, but the little idiot was also totally ignorant of how uncomfortable he made Sunny.

Needless to say, Jonathon hated Richard.

"I might know something about it." he replied coolly, taking another drag on his cigarette, shifting the weight of the bag noticeably. When he remained quiet, the sister, Angelica, spoke up.

"Then why don't ye say somethin' about it? After all, ye've got Sunny's bag!" she snapped.

"You didn't ask me the question," Jonathon shot back.

"Alright, then," the older boy with the ponytail, Aidan, spoke up, "Will ye please tell Richie what ye know about Miss Sunset not bein' at school today?"

Jonathon scoffed. "Read my painted lips, shamrock: _Hell. No_. Sunny not being at school is Sunny's business. And the fact she asked me to pick up her homework and crap for her is between me and her, not you. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just _maybe_, if she actually wanted you to know why she wasn't at school today, she would have told you?" He promptly pointed his index finger at the ground and spun it in a slow circle. "This is the loop. You're not in it."

_And for good reason, too,_ his mind added dryly. Sunny had a very special, really big secret that she didn't want to share with anyone. A secret that Jonathon only knew because his curiosity had gotten the better of him one day and he'd followed Sunny to her hideout, intent on playing detective. A secret Jonathon had promised to keep.

Just another reason why he hated Richard O'Ryvin pestering his friend.

Angelica's face purpled with rage and she surged forward, probably to deck him, had not her brothers caught her arms at the last second and held her back. Triumphant, Jonathon turned and walked past them, through the Scholarship Biology Land Lab, and out onto the small street beyond. He glanced once over his shoulder to ensure they weren't following him, and when he saw no one, he kept walking. His path took him past suburban streets to a small, quiet shopping plaza. Right behind the cheap theater sat an abandoned four-level parking garage, and Jonathon made a beeline for it, whipping out his cell phone and checking the time. Just a couple of minutes until five o'clock. Satisfied, he slowed his pace just a bit, walking into the parking garage and slowly making his way to the top.

"Sunny!" he called up as he walked. "Hey, Sunny! I've got your homework for you!"

"Jonathon?" he heard a voice call back.

"Who else would it be?" he snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Ach, ye gave me a fright, ye did! I've got a right tae ask!" he heard her snap back. Sunny, like the O'Ryvins, was an exchange student; her family had moved to Gotham from Scotland a number of years back, and she still retained a rather heavy Scottish accent that carried, despite her extremely soft voice. It had taken Jonathon some getting used to; she always spoke quietly, and the accent sometimes made it hard to decipher what she was saying, and to top it off, Sunny had an echo.

Jonathon had no other way of describing it. Sunny's voice simply had an echoing, breathy quality that made him think of waves crashing along a beach. He wasn't too surprised though, considering her secret. The echo was part of it.

He reached the third level and looked around. Over by one of the open windows, a petite girl his own age was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Long, auburn red hair fell in curls that didn't quite reach her waist, framing a pale, freckled face with large purple eyes. She blinked as Jonathon approached her, and offered him a small, rare smile.

"Thanks, Jonathon. Ye didna have tae go an' do tha' fer me, ye ken." she remarked as she took her messenger bag from him.

"Yeah, well…" he shrugged, "What are friends for, right?"

Sunny offered him a grateful smile, shouldering her bag.

"I'd be glad tae repay the favor whene'er ye need it." she said gently.

He nodded, taking another drag on his cigarette, studying her carefully before speaking. "You know, you can't avoid Richard O'Ryvin forever."

Her shoulders hunched uncomfortably and her knuckles went white as she gripped the shoulder strap of her messenger bag.

"I ken…" she murmured. "S'not like I took th' whole week fer a mental health day."

"Yeah, but you've been taking every opportunity you can to avoid him at school, then you go and take today off." he pointed out. "A _blind_ guy would notice."

"I'm worried he's goin' tae ask me out." Sunny whispered.

"Of course he's going to ask you out, Sunny." Jonathon snorted, "He's only made it obvious he wants to ever since he met you at school. Little dork's just been taking his freaking time to do it. Just tell him no!"

"Ye try bein' in me shoes fer once," she sighed, making him wince.

"Sorry, Sunny. It's just…you know…"

"Aye, I ken."

A silence passed between them before they started walking back down the levels of the parking garage.

"So what are you going to do tonight?" he asked, hoping a change of topic would help smooth things over.

"Just felt like walkin', mostly," she answered with a light shrug. "Considered stoppin' by the Mad Tea House. Could use a cup o' coffee. Wanna join me?"

"No, thanks. I already have plans for tonight." said he. "Maybe some other time? Some other place? Like the java place on 5th and Main that lets you do open mic poetry?"

"Sounds good." Sunny said with a smile, holding up her fist. Jonathon stared at her for a minute, then gently rapped his own fist against hers.

None of this was stuff he'd normally do for anybody, but Sunny was his best friend, so he made an exception.

When Lexington had gone to the captain's car, the first thing that had drawn his attention was the control panel. One light pulsed steady, flashing the words "Autopilot Engaged."

"Right. Not touching that," he told himself firmly, then turned his attention to the rest of the controls, taking the opportunity to study them. One entire section of panel was dedicated to the readings of the train, just above a brake he resisted the urge to pull on. He avoided messing with any of the buttons and levers near that side, not wanting to seriously mess something up. Not that his fingers weren't itching to play with every button he saw, but he didn't want to stop the train and make them late. Elisa would be ticked off, and he didn't want to even think about what Goliath would say.

"So then, what do you do…?" he asked aloud as he touched a button closer to the right. There was a squeak, and wipers drug themselves across the windshield. It seemed a little pointless to put windshield wipers on a train that ran through a tunnel, but humans seemed to do a lot of pointless things. Another button switched on air conditioning, another heat, a third brought out a miniature television screen, and a fourth called for an attendant. The next button he pressed switched the radio setting, and Lexington nearly panicked, frantically trying to switch back to the channel where humans were droning out estimated arrival times and train numbers. The last thing he needed was to bring more suspicion down on them. He continued to jab at the buttons for a moment, listening desperately for the channel for the trains to show up.

"No, no! Not bluegrass! Argh, not hip hop either! No, I want the right channel, you stupid train!"

This went on for a good while, and Lex began to smack his tail around in frustration…until he heard something fall behind him.

"Oh, no…" he murmured, looking over his shoulder. A second later, he sighed in relief; he'd only knocked the headrest off of the captain's seat. He turned, bent down, and scooped the piece off the floor before agitatedly trying to stick it back on the chair. As he fiddled with it, his tail flipped once more, hitting the radio setting and switching it to a heavy metal station. The sound of a heavy, pounding bass and a roaring, screaming excuse for singing assaulted his ears and Lexington dropped the headrest, reaching up to block out the sound. He wasn't sure how long it went on, but finally, the station switched to a commercial break, and he spun, returning his undivided attention to the radio, smacking the buttons until he finally found the right airwave.

Sighing with relief, he sat back in the captain's chair, letting his limbs sag, when the train suddenly ground to a halt.

Were they in Gotham already? How much time had passed?

Startled, Lexington looked about the car until he saw the digital clock, his throat constricting. Had it really been that long?

"Oh, crap…" he murmured. Elisa and the others were going to be getting out of the train! He bolted from the seat and ran for the door, wrenching it open. If he got left behind…

He wasn't going to think about that. He focused instead on wrenching the next door open until he came to the car that opened to the station platform. Heart hammering, he kept low to the ground until he managed to peek out of a window, just barely letting his eyes slip over in order to see. Elisa was talking to a detective who was flanked by two younger officers, and there was no sign of the clan anywhere. Lex ducked back down, casting his eyes to the ceiling, searching until he found the opening where Goliath and the others had slipped out. He bolted for it, leapt upward, and scrambled out of the train, just managing to keep himself from hitting the low ceiling. There were nearby rafters above the station, and he carefully climbed up into them, looking around wildly. Elisa was leaving with the Gotham police, but Goliath and the rest of the clan were nowhere to be seen!

Frightened and desperate, Lexington started toward the station exit where he'd seen Elisa walking, hoping the others had also followed their human friend. Surely Goliath wouldn't let Elisa out of his sight completely…

Sunny had had to admit, she was a little disappointed that Jonathon hadn't agreed to coming with her. She liked having a friend she could talk to, even if he was a little harsh and blunt at times, plus Jonathon seemed to keep most other people that scared her at bay. Few other people dared approach her when she was around Jonathon, and Sunny had found, on more than one occasion, just how helpful that had proved to be.

Except in the case of Richard O'Ryvin.

It wasn't that he wasn't nice or anything, but Richard made her nervous, and no matter how many times she'd tried to drop that hint to him, he just didn't get it.

"So if he's one of the people who makes me nervous, why am I here?" she muttered to herself as she looked around the dining room.

The Mad Tea House was pretty well-known around Gotham City for attracting a less-than-desirable crowd at times. The owner, Erin Knightly, was an "Alice In Wonderland" nut who was said to have some romantic something or other going on with the infamous Mad Hatter. Not that the Hatter was anything to be worried about at the moment; to Sunny's knowledge, he was still locked up in Arkham. But a lot of other people considered to have connections to, if not an actual 'membership' of, the Rogues Gallery were said to frequent the place. And looking around, Sunny felt her skin crawl with suspicion.

"Hey, this seat taken?" asked a rough voice that could easily have passed for the lead singer of an angry girl band. Sunny jumped and looked up as a goth girl stared down at her questioningly. Making a small squeak of protest, Sunny snatched up her notebook and hugged it to her chest before answering.

"N-neh…ye c'n sit…"

"Phew! Thanks!" the girl sighed before collapsing in the chair on the opposite side of the oriental table, her heavy black combat boots clunking on the floor. Sunny studied her curiously. She wore little make-up and her hoodie and spiked Tripp pants practically swam on her, but she carried herself with an air that said she was far from being insecure and paranoid. Half of her hair was dyed silver, something that nagged at the back of Sunny's mind, like she was supposed to remember something significant. Hoping to keep the girl from making her more uncomfortable, Sunny attempted a stab at conversation.

"Ye…ye sound a bit like Alicia Beth Moore…" she remarked.

"P!nk?" the goth girl laughed, "Not the first time I've heard that, but thanks! Always nice to hear it another time!"

"…D'ye come here often?" she asked.

The girl shrugged. "Couldn't really tell ya. Say, you're Fantasia's little sister, right?"

Sunny winced at the use of her brother's 'professional' alias, but after a moment, she nodded.

"Me name is Sunset."

"Ahh, Sunny." the girl remarked, "I'm a friend of Fantas. Name's Wraith, so to speak."

Sunny's blood ran cold. Jesse had mentioned her before. Guenhivyre Pendragon was only a little older than her, but the girl was already a member of the Rogues, a thief with two blue bird wings growing from her back and the ability to become insubstantial. She would have been mostly unremarkable were it not for the fact that her alias was in fact, her split personality. Guen was said to be the sweeter half, with more morals and less desire to break the law. Wraith on the other hand, just had a desire to break your face if you said the wrong thing to her.

On the verge of panic, Sunny twitched, itching for an opening to bolt from the table and run out of the tea house.

"Don't look so jumpy, Macallister," Wraith said smoothly, piercing the younger girl with her cold, dark green eyes. "I'm here to warn you."

"Warn me?" Sunny squeaked.

"Keep it down!" Wraith hissed, her eyes darting to some of the other tables where she had to glare down a few onlookers. "Yes, I'm here to warn you. Have you or your sister or Fantas pissed anyone off lately?"

"N-neh…No' tha' I ken o'…" she murmured quickly, but even so, her mind began to race. Jesse was a mercenary, so who was to say he hadn't pissed someone off? And Catriona was always poking her nose into places it didn't belong. Her heart began to pound and she strained to hear and memorize every word Wraith said.

"That's bad, Macallister," the thief clicked her tongue. "I don't have much to go on except a couple of rumors I've heard, but word among the Gallery says that the Joker's after you and yours."

A lead weight dropped into Sunny's stomach and she had to open and close her mouth several times before it worked properly. "Th-the…The Joker?" she said in a voice just below a whisper, her mouth going completely dry. Wraith gave her a grave nod.

"I would've said something to Fantasia directly, but I've not been able to find him all day," she explained. "But when I noticed you in here, I figured it was the next best thing I could do."

Sunny couldn't respond. She didn't know how. The Joker? After her, of all people? Not to mention her big brother and little sister! What was she going to do? What _had_ she done?

"You _will_ tell Fantas, right?" Wraith asked pointedly. "I know you don't know me personally, but your brother's my friend. Guen's friend, too. And I hate seeing our friends get hurt. Especially where _that_ grinning maniac is involved."

Swallowing over the knot in her throat, Sunny nodded.

And at that moment, the door to the Mad Tea House burst wide open.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A party? And no one invited me? Really now, Miss Knightly, I'm crushed!"

"Speak of the devil." Wraith muttered darkly, her hand diving into her hoodie pocket to retrieve something. The owner came out to snap at the Joker, but he only gave her a shove backwards, sending her sliding over one of her tables, and made his way toward the back.

Right where Sunny and Wraith were sitting.

The Scottish girl forced herself not to fidget, but the last thing she wanted was to be within the Joker's sight after hearing another Rogue warn her about him. Sweat rolled down her face and her palms, and she tried to make herself as small and inconspicuous as possible. She had to get out of there, had to run, had to hide…

But the Joker didn't seem to notice her. Instead, he strolled right up to Wraith and clapped a hand down on her shoulder as though they were old friends and she'd been waiting for him to join her.

"And lookee who I've found skulking around, haunting the place! If it isn't my favorite little birdy, back from the dead again! How're things going, Pendragon? Dent let you off the leash to run around town for a change?" he asked jovially, and Sunny's panic increased tenfold.

So that's why the silver and black hair had seemed so familiar! Wraith was Two-Face's understudy!

The winged girl scowled, turning the object from her pocket over in her hands.

"Gee, I don't know. You could always ask him." she answered coolly.

"Oh sure, why don't we call old Harv? Or do you have to flip a coin for that?"

Wraith pressed a button on the object in her hands, and her switchblade-style scythe snapped open with a _shing!_

"Not really," she replied, "Gotta consult with a few other fellow spirits first. Funny thing though, there don't seem to be any around at the moment. Guess I might have to make one."

And she twisted as she rose, springing for the Clown Prince of Crime with a yell, scythe flashing. Sunny took that as her cue and bolted, running for the door. She almost made a clean getaway, until she ran into Erin Knightly and went sprawling, sending chairs crashing to the floor. Frightened, she glanced up, and found the Joker's eyes had snapped up to look at her. So had Wraith's.

"BEAT IT, MACALLISTER!" she roared, just before the Joker kicked her in the stomach and sent her flying backward. Sunny yelped and flung herself out the door, ready to run for her life.

She didn't need to look back to know the grinning, gruesome clown was right behind her.

Lexington cursed himself, not for the first time, as he glided from a rooftop, looking around for a good spot to land before the rain began to come down too heavy. Not only had he gotten separated from the rest of the clan and Elisa within moments of arriving, but now he was completely lost, and it was starting to rain. Soon he wouldn't be able to glide, and he'd be stuck wandering alone. Desperate, he looked around again, hoping against hope for a sign of the others somewhere in this strange city. But he found nothing.

Gotham wasn't too different from Manhattan, at least not in looks, but there was something in the air around here that just didn't feel right. Manhattan was tough and rough, but it also had a rather nice atmosphere to it. Gotham had an underlying tension that raised goosebumps on his arms.

Exhaling slowly, Lexington continued his short glides, still searching, still trying to keep the rain in mind. He didn't get very far before he spotted a brightly lit sign for an electronics store. Immediately his talons got that telltale itch to play with something.

"Urgh…no, Lex. Keep your head. You've got to find the others." he grumbled to himself. He took a few steps before looking again at the sign. There was an awning over the shop window, and several tvs were lit up on display.

Ah, what could it hurt?

Opening his wings, he kicked off from the rooftop and toward the store, the updraft slowing his descent. His feet touched pavement, and he crept toward the store, eyes on the televisions. Several different channels were all on, and his eyes darted from one to another as he shook his tail and wings dry under the awning. This wasn't so bad. Perhaps from here he could get his bearings…

A loud shriek from somewhere nearby shocked him, wrenched his attention away, and Lexington looked around in alarm. Someone was in trouble! But as he looked up and down the street, no one was in sight.

"What in the…?" he murmured.

Suddenly a figure burst into view from around a corner, a white face drawn into a mask of fear, and before Lexington knew what happened, he was barreled right over, smacking hard against the sidewalk.

His assailant was a young human girl who looked like she'd just seen a ghost, and was in the middle of a panic attack. Startled, Lexington squirmed, trying to tug his tail from underneath her, when she sprang to her feet and yanked him up by his wrist. Wide purple eyes stared at him in abject horror, and for a second, he wondered if she'd realized what he was.

But she seemed to have something else on her mind entirely.

"RUN!" she shrieked, before turning and sprinting down the same direction she'd been going before. Lexington blinked, confused, when another figure slid into view from around the same corner. He turned and cried out in fright.

A man with green hair and a face like a homicidal circus clown was grinning at him like a maniac, a gun in his hand, standing out against his bright purple suit.

Lex needed no further encouragement. He dropped to all fours and his feet pounded the pavement as he followed the running figure of the girl, forcing himself to focus only on following the mane of red curls before him and resisting the urge to look at what was hot on his heels.

* * *

A/N:R&R is appreciated.

Sunny Macallister, Jesse "Fantasia" Macallister, Catriona Macallister, and Guenhivyre Pendragon/Wraith are all (C) to me

Erin Knightly and the Mad Tea House (C) to Penguinsgrl of deviantArt

Jonathon Isley is (C) to Missterio of deviantArt

The O'Ryvin triplets are all (C) to AnimeRoleplayer71 of deviantArt


	4. Chapter 3: Batman, Mummies, and Monsters

A/N: All Batman elements belong to DC Comics, all Gargoyles elements belong to Disney Enterprises. Sunny Macallister, Ramsey "The Mummy" Kingston, and the "Cemetery Monster" all belong to me. Jonathon Isley belongs to my very dear friend, Missterio of deviantArt.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Batman, The Mummy and the Cemetery Monster

Brooklyn and Broadway had doubled back to the subway station at Goliath's insistence, while Hudson and Bronx had remained in place. The plan was that Goliath would follow Elisa and the Gotham officers, then return to the rooftop to show the rest of the clan the way. Hudson would remain where he was in the event Lexington was looking for them, so the youngest gargoyle could find them, while Brooklyn and Broadway would search for their rookery brother in case he'd gotten caught up in what he'd been fiddling with.

But so far, their search had turned up nothing.

"Lex has got to be around here somewhere…" Broadway spoke in a worried mumble after they'd climbed back out of the train and traversed the entire span of the rafters, still not finding their friend.

"It _is_ always possible that he noticed and left on his own. He may get caught up when he gets mushy-eyed for this stuff, but he'd know what to do when we got here. Heck, he may even be with Hudson now." Brooklyn spread his taloned hands, trying to reassure himself as much as Broadway. He received a nod, and by silent consent, the two left the subway and resumed searching as they made their way back to Hudson.

"Hey…what if those strangers in the weird costumes got him?" Broadway suggested nervously.

"What, those kids?"

"What if…what if they're like The Pack? They could be holding Lex captive right now!"

"Broadway, they were a couple of kids." Brooklyn said slowly, trying to put an emphasis on his point. "I doubt they're as dangerous as The Pack, and I don't they could catch Lex either."

"But you heard what Elisa said about this city being a dangerous place!"

"I know, I know! But I don't think those kids are a threat. I mean, before they really got a good look at us, they were acting like they were…I don't know…"

"Miniature cops? Or detectives?" Broadway suggested.

"Yeah…" Brooklyn said thoughtfully. It was almost like the kids had been dressing up and pretending to be superheroes, protecting the city from monsters and bad guys, only to get scared when they actually found something that they'd see as monsters.

"I…I dunno, Brook. I'm just worried."

"Me too, big guy." Brooklyn sighed. "Me too."

Goliath had to slow on account of the rain, but he managed to keep the vehicle in his sight as he did his best to reassure himself nothing would happen. After all, Elisa was with more police, and even for a city rumored to have as bad a reputation as she had told him, the police of Gotham surely knew how to be cautious in their own territory. This other detective…this Renee Montoya…she seemed like a capable officer and had the look of a seasoned warrior, and the other two 'cops' both seemed hearty, if inexperienced.

"You are becoming too paranoid." the gargoyle muttered to himself, shaking his head. He really was just being fearful without reason, and he had to stop. Elisa was in good hands, and even if something were to happen…well, that was part of why he was following, to keep her safe where humans failed. After all, what could possibly happen?

And that's when the sirens on the police car began to wail.

Startled, Goliath veered in the air as the car suddenly left its original path and took a sharp right turn, quickly gaining speed. Cursing, the gargoyle lowered his body and dropped briefly onto a roof, where he ran to the edge and took off again, hoping to keep up with the car. Part of him chided himself for doing this, for placing Elisa above the clan in this strange city, but without her…

The sudden call over the police scanner had startled Montoya as much as it had her rookies and Maza. Bullock sounded on the verge of panic, something that was never a good sign. Montoya chewed on her lower lip as she sped toward the museum, angry that she was answering the call in the first place. If they had wanted her there to begin with, why hadn't Gordon just brought her along? And why was Harvey Bullock the one paging her over the scanner? Gordon himself should have called.

Unless Bullock had gone and done this behind Gordon's back Not like it would be the first time.

Her suspicions were confirmed when they pulled up and parked on the scene, and Gordon was in Bullock's face yelling.

"What's going on, Commissioner?" she asked as she and the other three stepped out of the car and approached, hands finding their individual guns and tazers. Gordon looked up as they drew near, his eyes briefly finding Elisa Maza before returning to Montoya.

"Nothing near so desperate as Harvey may have you believe." he began.

" 'Nothing near so desperate?' Tankinson comes limping back out to us, and you say it's 'nothing near so desperate?'" Bullock squawked indignantly.

"Another word, and it's your badge, Bullock!" Gordon snapped, making the larger man shrink back and lapse into indecipherable grumbling.

"Sir, do you need me to go in?" Montoya asked, hefting her handgun.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Detective." Gordon answered, starting to calm once more as he turned and indicated the museum doors. "I think it's almost over."

Elisa stood, worrying at the sudden chain of events unfolding before her, and followed Gordon's line of sight back to the museum. For a moment, she had no idea what she was looking for, though her police instincts told her to be on guard, and she kept her hand next to her own gun. Then the doors opened and she was met with one of the stranger sights she'd seen in her life.

Three men were walking down the museum steps, approaching the line of police cars. The one on the right was a young man around her brother Derek's age, maybe a little younger, with long dark hair that disappeared behind a jet-black suit, marked with a blue eagle. He wore a mask over his face and stood a little straighter as he noticed the officers all watching him.

The man in the center was trapped almost completely in a large wicker basket, which obscured most of his features above his knees. His legs and feet, from what she could see, were covered in gauze bandages and sandals. A white headdress with a tiny gold cobra was perched slightly lopsided on his brunette head, and his tan, handsome features were contorted with rage as he was marched along.

Elisa couldn't hold in a gasp as she took in the man on the left.

She'd heard of him when reading the reports on Gotham, but had assumed he was nothing more than an urban legend, some kind of folk hero. He was dressed head to toe in black Kevlar armor marked with a bat symbol on his chest, with a billowing cape that flowed behind him like an inky shadow, and the mask obscuring most of his features had two points that rose on either side of his head like the horns of the devil himself. He took long strides and moved almost in complete silence, with a determined air to each movement.

As the three came even nearer, she could make out what the man in the wicker basket was saying.

"—never suffered such indignities in either of my lives! Do you hear me? This is degrading in every sense of the word! Unhand me, you cretins!"

"Aww, now Ramsey," the young man on the right said sweetly, "Do you really want us to let go?" He motioned to indicate the pavement below, and the man in the basket scowled.

"Curse the strong weaving skills of the Israelites…" he muttered.

"Detective Maza," Montoya said, an amused tone in her voice as she nodded toward the man in the wicker basket, "Meet Ramsey Kingston."

Ramsey Kingston must have had good hearing, because he immediately rounded on Montoya, looking perfectly livid.

"How dare you speak of your Pharaoh so informally!" he yelled. "I am The Mummy! I am Ramses the Great reborn! I will reclaim what is rightfully Egypt's and rebuild my sacred home here in this pitiful city! Do you hear me?"

At this, Detective Bullock received a hand signal from Gordon and stepped forward, grabbing Ramsey by the back of his basket.

"Yeah, yeah, sunshine." he muttered, shoving Ramsey forward, "That's what, four more words from last time? Keep movin'."

"Ammit will devour your soul, you crass, unwashed peasant! Now unhand me at once!" Ramsey shrieked at him before being shoved into the back of a vehicle. Gordon sighed, shaking his head, then at last turned and made eye contact with Elisa.

"I must apologize," he said calmly, "This is not the sort of welcome I had been hoping to give you, Detective Maza."

"That's alright…" she answered slowly. "But does someone mind filling me in on—"

"Ramsey Kingston," said a cold voice suddenly, "Thirty-two-year-old British-Egyptian male, formerly employed by GothCorp. He believes, as you no doubt heard, that he is Pharaoh Ramses II's mummy, brought back to life."

Elisa turned and stared at the tall man in the bat costume, trying to form a response.

"Detective Maza," Gordon cleared his throat, "May I introduce to you our local legend?"

"The Batman…" she murmured uncertainly, and he barely inclined his head in acknowledgment. The younger vigilante immediately groaned.

"And Nightwing! _And_ Nightwing! Yeesh, I've gotta get a better press agent."

"I've heard of you," Batman spoke, gaze focused on Elisa like a predator surveying a new animal entering its territory. "Detective Elisa Maza, Manhattan's 34th precinct. May I ask what you're doing in my city?"

"Following a lead," she answered guardedly, "Is that a problem?"  
Batman said nothing, continuing to watch her for a moment, before he raised his arm and something in his hand made a bang like a gun going off. Nightwing made a similar motion and suddenly they both rose into the air, disappearing into the night.

"What was that about?" Elisa demanded indignantly.

"He always does that," Gordon remarked, "And I still don't think I'm used to it."

Elsewhere in Gotham, Sunset Macallister was running for her life. It was perhaps only by a vast stroke of luck that her shoes didn't once slip on the wet pavement, and sheer determination to get safely away that overrode her senses once she started to flag. She could hear the strange boy following behind her, making strange footfalls just above the sound of the Joker's nightmare laugh, and wondered why, when she'd told him to run, he'd chosen to tag along behind her. It wasn't the smartest course of action.

Not that running from the Joker with no clue as to where she'd be safe was much better. And she wondered, not for the first time, what in the world either of her siblings had done that might have brought the madman's attention down on all of them. For that matter, what in the world had she done to contribute to this danger to her family?

She started to weave in and out through the streets, trying to shake the Joker, but her plan wasn't as good as she'd hoped. Keeping out of the way of the cars speeding here and there was easy enough, but she had to start ducking and weaving between pedestrians as she continued to run, which started to increase her panic. And if she wasn't mistaken, she could hear gasps and screams behind her, which only made the pedestrians panic.

_I donnae need this right now!_ she thought, on the verge of tears. _I gotta get away!_

A thought suddenly struck her as she ran. She remembered having talked to Jonathon about different places they ought to go sometimes, when the O'Ryvins were bothering her, and Jonathon had brought up the suggestion of the Gotham Cemetery.

"Th' Cemetery?" she had squeaked.

"Yeah, what are you deaf?" he had shot back.

"But, but! But!" she had tried to protested.

"You sound like a motor boat, Sunny. What's so scary about some stupid old graveyard?" he had snorted.

"Th-they all say a monster lives in th' Cemetery…" she had whimpered, and her blood had gone cold at the sight of Jonathon's smile as his eyes lit up.

"Exactly, Sunny! Exactly!"

_Lord, fer once I be hopin' me superstitions prove useful…_she thought grimly, turning at last second down Tombstone Avenue. The odd footsteps, the screams, and that horrifying laugh continued to follow her, and she found her second wind, putting on a burst of speed as the Gotham Cemetery came into view. The black iron gate leading into the graveyard was standing ajar, creaking slightly in the night, and she rushed for it, crashing through without a second thought.

"A graveyard?" she heard a voice ask behind her, and she spun instantly to look at the strange boy, receiving a shock.

Needless to say, he wasn't human.

But at the moment, it didn't matter.

Panicking, Sunny rushed back to him and seized his wrist, dragging him along.

"Keep running!" she shrieked. Thankfully, he didn't attempt to use his weight against her and they both ran, somewhat clumsily, through the rows of headstones and sculptures.

"Run all you like, ginger!" the Joker's voice rang out, all the more terrifying in the dark gloom of the rainy cemetery. "I'm sure there's an open grave in here with your name on it!"

"There's a stone shed in the corner, on the opposite end of the cemetery!" her strange companion murmured hurriedly.

"We've got t' try somethin' first!" she hissed, dragging him toward a large mausoleum standing ahead. It fit the description…

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" the Joker called in a singsong, sending chills down Sunny's spine. Fighting the urge to break down and cry, she sprinted toward the mausoleum until her fingers closed around its metal grate door. Desperately, she rattled it as though trying to beat out a rhythm.

"What are you doing?" the creature at her side cried. "He's going to find us!"

Sunny slowed the rattling, beginning to despair. Was the story of the Gotham Cemetery Monster really just an urban legend after all…?

"Well, that's not the sort of thing I would choose, but I've heard all you Macallisters are a bit…touched in the head." came the lunatic giggle from behind them. Trembling, Sunny turned to face the Joker, the creature at her side turning as well, and they watched, both frozen in horror, as the demented harlequin lowered his gun and drew a knife from the inside of his sleeve.

"You know, Xanny-boy asked me to bring you in alive, carrot-top. But he never said in one piece." he said, his smile growing, and tears were stinging the edge of Sunny's vision.

That's when they all heard a spine-tingling, inhuman screech as a nightmare figure seemed to drop out of the sky and tackle the Joker, shrieking in outrage.

"THIS IS MY TERRITORY!" it roared.

The Joker gave a yelp and the two went tumbling and rolling, the monster wresting the knife from Joker's grip as the two of them struggled.

"He _is_ real! Oh, thank me lucky stars…" Sunny whimpered before turning to her odd new companion, trying to fight back her panic once more. "Where did ye say that shed was?"

"Oh! Right!" he said, his large, goblin-like ears standing a little higher as he turned to one direction. He dropped to all fours and began making running leaps, yelling, "This way!"

Sunny took off after him, her terror lending a new spring to her sprints. The rain started coming down heavier and heavier, and more than once she started to slip and lose her balance, determination alone keeping her moving. Suddenly the shed seemed to loom out of the shadows, and she followed her strange companion inside. It wasn't until she crossed the threshold that she finally lost her balance and fell against a stone floor, but before she had time to register any pain, the creature slammed the door shut, and they were swallowed up by the dark.


	5. Chapter 4: Creatures Of The Night

Chapter 4: Creatures Of The Night

Goliath watched the progress of the arrest in mild interest, more curious as to what would occur when Elisa was greeted. What he wasn't expecting was a strangely dressed person to speak to Elisa and then rise into the air like Xanatos' helicopter. He almost felt the need to turn at once, to follow the strange person, but caught at last second the tail end of what the police were saying.

"What was that about?" Elisa demanded.

"He always does that," remarked the policeman everyone kept referring to as 'Gordon', "And I still don't think I'm used to it."

"So you just let a vigilante stroll around your city?" Elisa asked carefully.

"His relationship with the GCPD is…complicated…" offered one of the rookies who'd helped escort Elisa. Goliath struggled for a moment to remember her name. Shakia? It was most unusual.

"Complicated?" snapped the rotund cop, but a look from Gordon quelled his temper tantrum immediately.

"He's a good ally." Gordon said firmly, as though that settled the matter. "And a friend, besides."

At this, Elisa chuckled, half-tossing a look up to where Goliath was perched, making him smile. "I bet." she agreed.

The commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department gave a heavy sigh. "Like I said, this isn't the sort of welcome I had in mind, detective."

"I've had worse, trust me."

"I think we all have. For now though, we'll see about getting you back to headquarters and dried off. You can have a fresh start early tomorrow morning on your investigation." He gave her a warm smile and extended his hand. "Hopefully our friend in Kevlar won't give you too bad a scare if you see him again. Welcome to Gotham, Detective Maza."

"Thank you, Commissioner Gordon." she chuckled, giving his hand a firm shake before allowing Montoya to shuffle her into the police car again. Satisfied, Goliath rose to a stand, preparing to continue his pursuit.

"Something tells me you're not just trying to get caught up on current events."

Goliath spun, eyes starting to glow as he tensed, baring his teeth in a low growl. A shadow was moving on the next roof over, rising higher and higher until a man-shaped creature stepped into the dim light. A brief flash of lightning brought the figure into sharp relief, revealing the impossibly tall human in black who'd spoken to Elisa. A second shadow moved into view, a younger man in a mask and a skintight black suit. His eyes widened behind his mask on seeing the gargoyle.

"Whoa! Big fella!" he said, stunned.

A small growl issued from Goliath's teeth, but it was the man with the bat etched on his chest that kept his attention. 'Impossibly tall' was a slight exaggeration, but there were few humans that were almost perfectly matched in height with the gargoyle, and this man was one of them. His stance wasn't wary or arrogant, like that of his companion, but defensive, and he seemed to be observing Goliath with the same air the gargoyle was observing him.

"What I am doing is no concern of yours!" he growled.

"You're in my city," the man in black declared coldly, "Therefore that _makes_ it my concern."

"Is that a challenge?" Goliath growled.

"Hey look, we're not out to pick fights," said the younger man, "Right, Bats?"

But the taller man said nothing as his eyes continued to bore into Goliath's.

"Who are you…?" the gargoyle demanded.

"I could be asking the same of you." the man responded, and with a jump, he landed on the roof with barely a noise, automatically striding toward the gargoyle, speaking softly in a voice like cold iron. "I am vengeance."

Two long strides brought him closer, and Goliath tensed out of reflex.

"I am the night."

He closed the distance until there was barely two feet between them, and met the gargoyle's stare, eye to eye, as the next words came out in a threatening whisper that carried even over the rolls of thunder.

"I am Batman."

Goliath sucked in a breath, but remained speechless. This man, this…Batman…had a presence not unlike some of the clan leaders he'd known growing up, and a stony air about him that even Demona would find impressive. If he'd not known better, Goliath may have even sworn Batman had a bit of gargoyle blood in him.

The moment shattered upon a clicking noise coming from an "ear" of Batman's cowl, and without blinking a lash, the human reached up and pressed a finger to it.

"Robin." he growled.

For half a second, the gargoyle stood confused, wondering what he meant, until a scratchy voice came out of cowl, not unlike the police radio scanners in Elisa and Matt's cars.

"Look, Batman, I know I've told you some crazy, off-the-wall stuff before, but you are _not_ gonna believe what Batgirl and I saw tonight." the voice said. Under his cowl, Goliath saw Batman's eyebrows narrow as the frown on his face deepened.

"Trust me, Robin. I think I can afford to be open-minded." he replied.

"We saw—"

"Later." Batman grunted, "We'll meet you back at the cave."

As he lowered his hand, the younger man leapt from the opposite roof, tucking into a ball in midair only to uncurl as he descended, landing gracefully beside his mentor.

"So…" he said, attempting a smile, "Back to baby-sitting?"

Batman gave him a skeptical look before turning back to Goliath. For a long second there was only the sound of the rain as the two studied each other, then Batman pulled something from his side and lifted it at an angle. There was a sound like a gun going off, and suddenly Batman rose into the air, disappearing among the gray of the rain. The younger man shook his head, then offered Goliath a weak smile of apology.

"He does that a lot," he said, walking to the edge of the rooftop, "You get used to it. Name's Nightwing, by the way. See you around, uh…sir."

He jumped, spreading his arms wide, and vanished as well.

Goliath could only stand and stare, numb to the rain that slid off his wings and tail, puzzled by the encounter.

"It would seem this city is as strange as Elisa said it would be…" he murmured. But he shook his head and ran from the rooftop to one nearby, trying to track where the police vehicles had gone. He needed to ensure he knew where Elisa was, and where he was going to bring the rest of the clan to roost for the night…

* * *

For a long, terrifying time, there was only the dark, accompanied solely by the rattling rush of the rain pounding down on the roof of the shed. When Sunny had first scrambled to her feet, a steady stream of raindrops dripped on her head, and she had to scoot further away from the leak in the roof, to find a dry spot. Fear gripped her heart, and she panicked, wondering whether or not the strange creature she'd met was still with her, and it wasn't until she heard his scratchy, reedy voice that she relaxed.

"H-hey…are you okay?" he asked, and she listened as he scrambled carefully in the dark, his odd footfalls echoing with a bit of a scratch on the stone of the floor.

"I-I think so," she answered with a humorless, weak laugh, "As best I c'n be, considerin' I've been chased half o'er town by a lunatic."

"You sound a bit hysterical." he remarked, concern in his voice.

"An' why wouldna I be?" she snapped, "I was runnin' fer me life, in case ye hadna noticed!"

"Hey, relax!" he snapped back, "I'm just trying to help! You don't have to get all prickly with me!"

And silence fell again.

* * *

Escorting the detective to headquarters wasn't any rookie's idea of a great assignment, but Shakia Johnson had accepted it gracefully. Eric Mason, her unofficial partner in the department, had been the only difficult part of escort duty. He'd bemoaned the whole thing from the second they left headquarters with Montoya until Detective Maza had stepped off the train. The only reason he shut up after that, Shakia knew, was so he could look professional in front of the visiting cop. And despite her attempts at conversation with Maza, Shakia couldn't completely supress the annoyance that threatened to rise up from the back of her mind like a violent snake. Eric was an idiot, and would lead the two of them headfirst into trouble if no one kept an eye on him.

The side detour to the museum proved to be one of the most interesting parts of the night. She hadn't expected it in the least, but she knew that Montoya had been trying to bite back her own irritation all night, and it didn't surprise her that the older officer had jumped at the chance to be back in on the action.

_Wouldn't mind goin' out there myself._ She thought, watching Bullock shove The Mummy into the backseat of a cruiser. _God knows, the criminals of the city need a little ass-whuppin'. And he can't do it all himself._

The last bit was an afterthought her brain tacked on by itself, on seeing Batman and Nightwing rise into the air after a brief word with Detective Maza. She would never say it in front of superior command, but she knew her calling wasn't in the force. She was supposed to be at Batman's side, helping him take down the dangerous ones, head-on.

True, he already had Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, and Incubus in his little "family," but the city of Gotham was continuing to prove that so few vigilantes still weren't enough. They needed more, needed a swelling in the ranks.

And that was where Shakia was supposed to come in.

She had been planning this for some time. Had spent countless hours researching, working, hunting down the necessities, and building an alias for months now. And now…now all she needed was the opportune moment to approach the Batman and present herself as an able ally.

Thoughts of her plan, the force, her assignment, and knocking some sense into Eric Mason were abruptly dashed from her mind when a shadow caught her attention. It was difficult to discern in the rainy darkness, but a flash of lightning reflected off the wet pavement had brought it into high relief and stolen her focus. Something was on the roof overhead, something big. Frowning, Shakia repositioned herself, trying to look up, but to her frustration, she couldn't see the top of the building. Gritting her teeth, she opened the door a fraction and poked her head out.

There was something on the roof alright. Thing was, she had no clue in Hell if anyone would believe her should she try to say what it was.

"Sweet baby Jesus, girl," she muttered to herself, "If you ain't goin' crazy, then…" Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she shut her eyes against the rain and jerkily moved her hands in a gesture most people would have mistaken for crossing herself.

"_Beauseant_." she whispered, opening her eyes to focus once again on the roof. "_Beauseant_."


End file.
